Chris Paul on his passing genius: 'I think about it like a chess player'

Chris Paul on his passing genius: 'I think about it like a chess player'

When his career is over, Chris Paul will be remembered, among other things, as one of the most gifted passers of his generation, maybe even in the history of the NBA. It bears out in the numbers — he’s 10th in NBA history in assists — but he broke down how he views the job of a point guard in a very fascinating story by ESPN.com’s Tim MacMahon:

“I almost think of it like a chess player,” said Paul, who has led the league in assists four times and would rank second with 9.2 per game this season if he had played enough games to qualify. “You just sort of see it before it happens.”

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“They put the laces on the ball for a reason,” Paul said. And he has felt the ball in his hands enough to be able to throw passes with the preferred rotation, even on split-second decisions.